How to Identify aWhite Ibis
Eudocimus albus · 22.1–26.8 in (56–68 cm)
Male vs. female
Male
All white with a bare red face, long downcurved red bill, red legs and black wingtips. Sexes look alike.
Female
Identical to the male but with a slightly shorter bill.
Male photo: Terry Foote / Wikimedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Second photo: Charles J. Sharp / Wikimedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Field marks
- Long, smoothly downcurved red bill
- Black tips to the outer wing, visible in flight
- Bare red face and legs
- Flies with neck outstretched, alternating flaps and glides
Similar species
What it sounds like
A nasal grunting "urnk urnk", mostly around colonies.
Behaviour that gives it away
Feeds by probing mud and grass by touch rather than sight, sweeping the bill until it contacts prey.
Habitat & range
Coastal marshes, mudflats, wet fields, golf courses and suburban lawns across the Southeast.
When you'll see it
Present all year in southeastern North America.
What it eats
Crayfish, crabs, insects and small fish located by touch.
Did you know?
Immature birds are brown with a white belly, so flocks often look like two different species mixed together.
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